Although antibiotic therapy is now used for animal infections with some success, huge losses persist. The early hopes that antibiotics would allow complete control of the disease have not been realized. None of the antibiotics utilized thus far has been entirely satisfactory. Additionally, it has been found to be very desirable to replace antibiotic treatment with treatment by non-antibiotic chemo-therapeutic drug compounds, for the following reasons:
(1) Antibiotics effective in human medicine should not be utilized in veterinary medicine, in order not to build up strain resistance of bacteria appearing in human diseases; and PA1 (2) Antibiotics should be reserved for such diseases for which no chemo-therapeutic drug compound would be available, as it has been proved that bacterial strains build up resistance to an antibiotic after extended use of such antibiotic.
Despite these several published methods, it remains very important to find cost-effective methods utilizing non-antibiotic compounds which would substantially overcome the drawbacks of antibiotics used thus far and yet would be effective in treating and preventing infections in canine and feline animals.
Canine parvo virus still infects over one-half million young dogs. Hospitalization and intensive care are required. Mortality occurs in 15-20% of the cases. Severe neutropenia occurs and death is thought to frequently result from secondary infections and sepsis.
Feline Immunedeficiency Virus (FIV) is believed to infect 500,000-1,000,000 cats per year. This virus causes neutropenia in approximately 30% of the cats which renders them susceptible to infections. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) also causes neutropenia in cats.